Fallout 3 is a massive open-world RPG with about one hundred hours of content to discover and explore. Yet with all that is already included in the game, plenty of things ended up on the cutting room floor for one reason or another.
While much of it is inconsequential like weapons with identical designs to already existing guns and graphics, some of the unseen content seems like it would have enhanced the already stellar journey through the Capital Wasteland. One should not sit and long for these pieces of cut content however, since the final package is an incredible game many consider to be one of the best RPGs of the past twenty years.
10 Tenpenny Tower Radio
The game comes packed in with plenty of tunes and a DJ to accompany gamers on their travels. Tenpenny Tower was originally set to be an additional station.
Apropos of Allistair Tenpenny, the station would have been full of trite platitudes championing the wealthy lifestyle and demeaning the poor outside of the tower. Some audio still exists within the game's files.
9 Extra Part To Wasteland Survival Guide
"Wasteland Survival Guide" is already one of the longest quests in Fallout 3, even though a small portion of it was cut. It would have had the player printing something at Hubris Comics and bringing it back to Moira, previously named Lea.
Perhaps it was the last step and had the player mass-producing the guide for consumption. As it stands now, the quest is still a highlight of the game, due in large part to Moira Brown's personality.
8 Throw Skill
An image exists showing Vault Boy throwing a baseball, which was supposed to be associated with a throw skill. Ultimately, throwing is not a skill in the game, but it was in the first two entries of the series. The image eventually returned for the Heave Ho! perk in Fallout: New Vegas.
The game is chock full of skills, so it is understandable to learn one received the ax. For those more interested in RPG mechanics than story and minute to minute combat, no amount of stats is too much.
7 Dad Saving Dr. Li
Unused audio from "The Waters of Life" quest shows the Lone Wanderer's father saving Dr. Li before sacrificing himself to prevent the Enclave from capturing the water purifier.
He calmly tells her to step out of the room, despite her protests, because he knows exactly what is going to transpire. It would have been a heartfelt moment, further accentuating the character's selflessness.
6 Infiltration Quest
Going by the evidence presented, "Infiltration" would have had the player sneak into Rivet City through the ship's underside to take a power source from a device and give it to the Brotherhood of Steel.
Given the cooperation between Rivet City's scientists and the Brotherhood of Steel, perhaps it was cut for feeling uncharacteristic. Additionally, the Capital Wasteland's chapter of the group is more benevolent than the other parts of the Brotherhood.
5 Floater Variations
Floaters were enemies featured in the first two Fallout titles but were absent from the third entry. Concept art reveals the intention of their inclusion, and the art looks as creepy as one would imagine a mutated floating beast could be. Fans finally got a chance to see these enemies come to life in Fallout 76.
4 Night-Vision Goggles
Night-vision goggles were set to appear in the game as a part of the merc veteran outfit, but it is unclear if the headgear would have had stat benefits. One imagines it perhaps would have increased perception at night time.
It would have been doubly cool if they went a step further and actually enabled night-vision for players, though such a feature dedicated to a single item only certain players would obtain seems like too much work.
3 MSO7 Quest
Little is known about this mysterious quest other than it involving Sarah Lyons from the Brotherhood of Steel and an item called Strange Disc.
Despite the paltry information regarding it, it is sad to see cut content involving Sarah. She is one of the best characters in Fallout 3, and more adventures with her would have enhanced the experience.
2 Cryolator
The Cryolator is a unique Fallout 4 weapon which does exactly what its name implies - freezes enemies. Its existence goes back to Fallout 3, where the name and design show up in the files.
While the sequel kept the name, the look is completely different. Given the wealth of fresh ideas in Fallout 3 compared to the company's prior effort, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, it is understandable for some of them to take a backseat and wait for a sequel.
1 Last Rites
Everything about the traces of this unused quest implies it took place after "Take It Back!" which is the main campaign's final quest.
Does this mean the original package was meant to have post-game content, a feature which only saw a return in the Broken Steel expansion? Maybe it was simply an additional quest for players who opted not to sacrifice themselves in the end?